Forest Service Paving the Way for Plum Creek?

The nation’s largest landowner may be getting a last-minute, going-away gift from the Bush Administration. The Forest Service may amend existing easements, a step that would allow Plum Creek Timber (NYSE:PCL) to pave roads through USFS land.  Such a move would facilitate an important first step for the giant timber REIT as it converts forested acreage to residential developments.  Read the complete story here.

America’s Largest Landowner Bucks Down Market

On Monday, Plum Creek Timber Company (NYSE:PCL) reported a 17 percent increase in third quarter earnings to $69 million on revenues of $414 million compared to year-ago earnings of $59 million on revenues of $407 million. At 40 cents a share, the results matched the average analyst estimate, but given the downturn in the U.S. economy as a whole and the housing market in particular, it was an impressive performance for the Seattle-based timber REIT, which owns more than 8 million acres of timberlands in 18 states. Read more

How to Invest in Land (Without Living on It)

Whether you own a quarter-acre urban lot or a 40,000-acre ranch, your love of the land comes from the moment you pick up a handful of ground and watch the dirt fall through your fingers, knowing that it’s yours—all yours. But while there’s that intangible, visceral satisfaction of ownership, let’s not ignore the other benefit—profit. From energy stocks to timber REITs and ski resorts to cattle ranches, a diverse group of equities is tied to the enormous natural resources of land. Read more